


She-Hulk & Hellcat: Black is Back

by d0d0bird



Series: Marvel: Tales to Tantalize! [43]
Category: Hellcat (Marvel Comics), She-Hulk
Genre: Angst, BAMF Jennifer Walters, Beating, Best Friends, Big Sister Jennifer Walters, Break Up, Bullying, Burns, By Which I Mean Pansexual, Did somebody order the Patsy Walker whump?, Dubious Consent, Embarrassed Patricia Walker (Marvel), Everyone Is Gay, Evil Felicia Hardy, Excessive Violence, Exposed Underwear, Exposed Underwear Female, F/F, Female Friendship, Fire, Friendship, Gen, Hair-pulling, Heartbreak, Humiliation, Hurt Patricia Walker (Marvel), Hurt/Comfort, Insecure Patricia Walker (Marvel), Its Not a Literal Adoption But Still, Jennifer Walters Adopts Patricia Walker (Marvel), Messy, No? No one? Just me? Alright, POV Patricia Walker (Marvel), Pansexual Patricia Walker (Marvel), Partial Female Nudity, Partial Nudity, Partner Betrayal, Patricia Walker (Marvel) & Jennifer Walters Friendship, Patricia Walker (Marvel) Gets a Hug, Patricia Walker (Marvel) Needs a Hug, Patricia Walker (Marvel) Whump, Poor Patricia Walker (Marvel), Precious Patricia Walker (Marvel), Protective Jennifer Walters, Public Humiliation, Seduction, Situational Humiliation, Some Humor, Stripping, Suspension, Verbal Abuse, Verbal Humiliation, and they were ROOMMATES, dubcon, euf, oh my god they were roommates, wedgie, wedgies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-27
Updated: 2020-09-27
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:48:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26685400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/d0d0bird/pseuds/d0d0bird
Summary: Patsy Walker was just starting to get her life back on track. She was finally starting to make a name for herself as Hellcat, she had found herself a close friend in Jennifer Walters, and was finally starting to move on from all the humiliation she suffered.Then Felicia Hardy showed up.
Relationships: Felicia Hardy/Patricia Walker, Jennifer Walters & Patricia Walker
Series: Marvel: Tales to Tantalize! [43]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1507763





	She-Hulk & Hellcat: Black is Back

“Alright, boys!” called out She-Hulk, “Show yourselves!”

Several men in trench coats stepped out from around various crates on the dock. The sky was grey and a sharp breeze cut through the air. It was just around the time of year when the docks started to get cold. That didn’t bother She-Hulk. In contrast to the bundled up men before her, she wore just a purple and white sports bra with matching shorts, boots, and fingerless gloves. Her powers kept her completely immune to the weather, which was a nice power play against these shivering cowards.

“We don’t want any trouble!” shouted one of the men, holding his hands in the air and walking out.

“Don’t move another step!” barked She-Hulk, freezing the man in his tracks.

The man had begun to make his way toward She-Hulk, but he was also inching toward an electric generator near the end of the dock. She-Hulk didn’t know what he had planned, but she wasn’t about to chance it.

“I wasn’t doing anything!” insisted the man.

“Stop talking,” ordered She-Hulk.

“Yeah!” added a voice from atop one of the crates, “Or HELLCAT will cut you to ribbons!”

“Patsy!?” realized She-Hulk in surprise.

“Here to help, Jen!” declared Hellcat proudly.

Hellcat pounced up and into the air and landed in front of She-Hulk, hands rested confidently on her hips.

“What are you doing here?” asked She-Hulk.

“I thought you could use a hand!”

“I…” said She-Hulk, “Thanks, but I don’t really need any help in the hitting people department.”

“Aw, Jen!” smiled Hellcat, “You know there’s more to this than that by now!”

“Patsy…” sighed She-Hulk.

“Help us, please!” pleaded the man near the generator, “This green woman’s going to kill us!”

“See?” pointed out Hellcat, “Case and point, Jen. I might not be able to hit as hard as you, but unlike you I know what it’s like to be afraid. I can make sure you don’t go too far. I could be, like, your moral compass. Oooh! Or your good cop!”

“Patsy, I don’t think-” started She-Hulk.

“I got this, Jen!” insisted Hellcat, turning and walking toward the man, “Watch and see!”

“Patsy!” barked Jen in a hushed tone.

“Hey buddy,” said Hellcat, gently approaching the scared man, “Don’t worry, we’re not gonna hurt you.”

“Really?” whimpered the man.

“Yeah,” assured Hellcat, placing a hand on his shoulder, “Here: I’ll stick by you the whole time, okay? Make sure you get through this safely.”

“You mean it?”

“Of course. That’s what it means to be a her- WAH!”

The man grabbed Hellcat and flung her to the side. He caught her completely off guard, allowing him to get a clear shot and throw her directly over the side of the dock. Hellcat squealed as she plunged into the frigid water. She-Hulk was still trying to put together what was happening when the man slammed the generator with all his strength, toppling it toward the side.

“NO!” cried She-Hulk, knowing the machine would kill Hellcat if it landed in the water with her.

“Scram!” shouted the man, sending the others all sprinting off in different directions. He did the same.

She-Hulk launched herself toward the generator at blinding speed. She grabbed onto either side of the machine as it was still tipping, pulling and clutch so hard her fingers dug into the generator. Suddenly she felt a huge surge of pain through her arms. Then her heart beat tripled. She felt pain shoot through her entire body. This was hurting her. This wasn’t just electricity. It was something else.

She-Hulk collapsed screaming on the ground next to the generator, convulsing uncontrollably. Hellcat scrambled back up and onto the dock, suit and underwear thoroughly soaked and salty. She rushed over to She-Hulk’s side, audibly sloshing as she did so.

“JEN!” she cried out, “Jen! What’s happening? Jen!? Oh God!”

“Hrrrrrrrrngh!!!!” groaned She-Hulk, tightening her every muscle.

“JEN!”

She-Hulk relaxed her muscles. Her skin slowly began to fade back to normal as her hair retracted and darkened. She seemed to almost deflate as her muscle and body structure reverted to its natural form. Soon it was no longer She-Hulk lying beside Hellcat, but Jennifer Walters.

“Jen…?” asked Patsy fearfully, pulling off her mask.

“Unnnnnnhhhhh….” groaned Jennifer.

“Oh Jen,” sobbed Patsy, “I’m so sorry!”

“Stop…” grunted Jennifer, getting to her knees.

“What happened!?” asked Patsy, looking Jennifer over.

Jennifer looked over at the generator beside them, now inactive and releasing a thick pillar of smoke. Jennifer looked closely. Then she sniffed the air.

“Damnit…” she cursed.

“What?”

“That was a low-level gamma generator,” explained Jennifer, “They unloaded it out of one of their crates, but I didn’t realize what it was until just now. Damn! It must have short circuited my powers or something. I’m going to have to call Bruce. Run some tests.”

“Aw man, Jen!” whined Patsy, “I’m so stupid! I’m sorry I-”

“Shut up,” ordered Jennifer dismissively, “We’ll talk about it tomorrow.”

“Jen…” said Patsy quietly, “You don’t have your powers. Do you need me to help you get back to-?”

“No,” said Jennifer, “Good night, Patsy.”

Patsy meekly pulled her mask back on as Jennifer turned and walked away. She was shivering within seconds. Without her powers, the air was unbearably cold for this revealing of an outfit. She was also having trouble seeing, not having brought her glasses with her and no longer having her powers to enhance her vision. Still, she preferred this to having to subject herself to being carried home by Hellcat.

Hellcat frowned for a moment as she watched her friend walk away. Then, after collecting herself, she leapt off to head home herself.

***

“Morning Jen,” said Patsy cautiously as she peered into the office.

“Come in, Patsy.”

Patsy shuffled into the office and made her way over to Jennifer’s desk. She had several computer monitors out and was quickly switching between all three of them, their white glow reflecting off her glasses. She hadn’t come back to the apartment the night before, instead coming straight to the office and changing into one of her spare suits.

“Any luck?” asked Patsy.

“Bruce thinks the condition is temporary,” explained Jennifer, “He’s had something like this happen to him before. I’m sending him data from my blood tests now so he can look into it more.”

“Any idea how long it’ll be before-?”

“No.”

“Is there any way I can help?” asked Patsy.

“Pull up a chair, Patsy.”

Patsy nervously walked over and pulled one of the chairs from the side of the room to Jennifer’s desk. Patsy sat nervously in the chair, twirling her thumbs in her lap.

“I was mad last night,” explained Jennifer, “That’s why I didn’t want to talk about it until today. I’ve had some time to think about it. It’s not actually that big of a deal, Patsy. Everyone makes mistakes. You know what mistake you made, right?”

“Um… Trusting a bad guy?”

“Letting your guard down, Pats.”

“Oh.”

“Forget about it,” dismissed Jennifer, “You asked how you can help?”

“Yes!”

“I’m pretty set here,” said Jennifer, “but without She-Hulk, you’re going to have to step up the vigilante work to make up the difference.”

“I can do that!”

“I know you can, Pats,” said Jennifer, “Is there anything else you wanted to discuss with me?”

“Um… I don’t think so.”

“Very well,” said Jennifer, returning to her computer.

Patsy looked around the room anxiously before leaving. She wanted to show Jennifer that she was capable of this. She had to show Jennifer, and herself, that she wasn’t a complete loser.

***

Hellcat leapt from building to building, on the prowl. She kept her cat-like senses alert, listening for cries for help at all times. She was the main vigilante of the city now. That was a somewhat frightening thought. She was still pretty new to this. Still, she had to show everyone that she was right for this. She had to show them that she could be a hero.

That’s when Hellcat’s ears twitched at the sound of a distant voice.

“Yeah, the old man’s got no security system,” he said, “We can basically take whatever we want.”

“Gotcha!” grinned Hellcat, pivoting and sprinting toward the noise.

Hellcat leapt off the building and did a front flip, effortlessly landing on all fours before raising up to face her opponents. This was a locally owned auto shop. By the look of things, the business was barely scraping by as it was.

“Stop right there, evil doers!” ordered Hellcat.

None of them reacted. It was only then that Hellcat realized what she was up against. There were over a dozen burglars in front of her, all armed with some sort of wrench or pipe. Hellcat suddenly realized that her odds were not as good as she had thought.

“Holy shit!” shouted one of the burglars, “It’s Patsy Walker! That reality TV superhero!”

“I’m not a reality TV superhero!” shouted Hellcat, stomping her foot, “And my name is Hellcat!”

“She’s the one who got pantsed and then unmasked in the same video,*” added another burglar, “Right?”

*In [Hellcat: Making a Name for Yourself](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22978693)

“Yeah, and that was after she lost her entire fortune by investing too much in stuffed animals!*”

*In [She-Hulk: Riches to Rags](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22550437)

“Shut up!!” screamed Hellcat, red in the face.

They were all laughing at her now. She gritted her teeth, hissed and leapt onto the nearest one. She clawed her up and disarmed her, barely dodging a blow from another one of them. She quickly found herself surrounded and had to leap straight up over their heads to get out. 

She tried to leap away, but a wayward pipe swing caught her leg badly, causing her to land hard on her shoulder. She cried out in pain. When she looked up they were all charging at her, pipes and wrenches in the air. This was it. There was no way she was going to make it through this one.

She rose to her feet to fight anyway, only to be surprised by a canister sliding under the burglars and emitting a huge cloud of black smoke. Then a slender finger charged into the cloud, using the smoke to mask her surprise attacks from behind.

_Who’s that?_ wondered Hellcat, _Well, if they’re going to save my life I might as well lend them a hand!_

Hellcat charged into the cloud as well, sneaking from burglar to burglar and slicing them up or knocking them out with surprise attacks. Her enhanced senses allowed her to navigate the smoke far more easily than the burglars. Within a matter of minutes, every burglar had been defeated.

The only two figures standing were Hellcat and a slender woman in a black spandex suit and face paint, the latter of which served as her mask. The woman had black hair cut into an undercut. She smiled at Hellcat. Hellcat felt her heart triple in speed at that moment. Not only had this woman saved her life, but she was beautiful.

“Hello, gorgeous,” said the woman, “The name’s Black Cat.”

***

It had been a wonderful night. Black Cat had pleased Hellcat in ways she’d never thought she could be pleased before. Black Cat didn’t remove her face paint and requested that Hellcat not remove her suit at first. Black Cat had insisted on stripping it off of her. Hellcat was more than happy to go along with that.

Even though Patsy didn’t know this woman’s real name, she felt so drawn to her. She made Patsy feel sexy. She made her feel cool. Patsy didn’t get to feel either of those things very often, so this was the happiest she’d been in some time.

The two of them had hooked up in Black Cat’s hotel room. Apparently she moved from city to city, so she didn’t have a permanent home or anything. Patsy found that sad in a way, but also so badass. She really hoped this fling with Black Cat wasn’t a one-time thing. She could use more nights like this.

Patsy yawned and rolled over. It was almost dawn, so she’d have to get going soon. She couldn’t wait to tell Jen about her successful evening of vigilante work followed by such an amazing night with a mysterious, sexy woman. Patsy blinked her eyes open and didn’t see Black Cat lying next to her. Patsy sat up and looked around the room.

“Oh good, you’re awake.”

Patsy turned to the source of the voice and saw someone standing at the bathroom door. Her jaw dropped. It was Black Cat, but she had washed her face paint off and changed out her spandex for the distinct yellow and indigo of the Hellcat suit. She sneered as she pulled the cat mask over her face.

“What are you doing?” asked Patsy, confused.

“Showing off my new suit!” said Black Cat, strutting across the room, “What does it look like?”

“Cat, did you take my-?”

Black Cat leapt high into the air, landing effortlessly on all fours on top of Patsy, terrifying her and causing her to scream. Black Cat laughed in her face.

“You idiot!” she cackled, “Why do you think I insisted on stripping your costume off?”

“Because you thought it was sexy?”

“HA! You? Sexy?”

Patsy squeezed the blanket under her and bit her lip in shame.

“No,” continued Black Cat, “I wanted to know exactly where it was. I wanted to make sure you didn’t poof it away before I got my hands on it. Because now, it’s mine!”

“No, wait!” pleaded Patsy, “You can’t! I need that!”

“Really?” scoffed Black Cat, “You _need_ this? How pathetic are you?”

“Caaaaaaaat!” begged Patsy, beginning to sob.

“Loser,” smiled Black Cat, turning and leaping out the window.

The hotel room was on the ground floor on the corner, so Black Cat leapt directly out onto the ground and sprinted away from there. Patsy, not wanting to lose the one thing that made her feel special, gave chase.

Unfortunately, this meant that Patsy didn’t have time to change, so she was left wearing only what she slept in: a pair of white socks and high waisted white briefs with a lollipop print across them. She clutched her arms over her nipples to keep them covered as she ran as fast as she could after Black Cat.

“CAT!” she cried, “COME BACK!! PLEASE!!”

“Check it out!” shouted someone, “Isn’t that Patsy Walker? What the hell’s happening?”

“Somebody get footage of this,” laughed another person, “please!”

Black Cat was over a block away now, leaping from awning to flagpole as she adjusted to the use of the suit. Trailing behind her was Patsy, screaming as she ran shirtless down the street hugging her nipples. The dorky underwear made the whole image a very silly sight. Before long, everyone was laughing.

Finally, Black Cat had gotten completely out of sight. Patsy was keeled over and panting, completely out of shape now that she no longer had the suit to enhance her abilities. She stood glumly in her undies and socks as people all around her took out their phones to film her or take pictures.

She began to cry. The video went viral within hours.

***

Jennifer cracked the door open. She heard the sobbing. She took a deep breath and walked into the apartment.

“Hey there, Pats…” she offered sympathetically.

Patsy was laid out on the couch in sweats and a T-shirt, hugging a pillow and lying on her side, sniffling and whimpering. Jennifer worked her way over to the couch, sat beside her friend, and placed a supportive hand on her back.

“It’s okay,” offered Jennifer.

Patsy continued to cry into the pillow. Jennifer frowned and rubbed Patsy’s back reassuringly. Jennifer couldn’t imagine how she was feeling now. As if her recent string of bad luck wasn’t enough, losing her powers and being nationally humiliated _again_ was enough to break anybody down.

“Don’t worry,” said Jennifer, “We’ll get your suit back. I promise.”

Patsy looked up from her pillow, eyes bloodshot with tears.

“You mean it?” she asked weakly.

“Yeah,” said Jennifer, “I’ve got your back, Pats. We’ll get through this.”

“...can I have a hug?”

“Of course.”

Patsy crawled over to Jennifer, sat up and wrapped her arms around her. She clung on tightly, letting out a shaky breath as Jennifer squeezed her back. They held each other for a while longer before Patsy let go. She sniffled and took a deep breath, gathering herself.

“Thanks Jen,” she said quietly.

“Absolutely, Pats.”

“I can’t believe I was so stupid…” muttered Patsy.

“What do you mean?”

“I totally fell for her,” said Patsy sadly, “I really thought she was into me. We even… Well, she convinced me to let her take the suit off.”

“So that’s how she got it,” realized Jen.

“Yeah.”

“We’ll find her,” assured Jen, “Do you have a name to go off of?”

“She just called herself Black Cat.”

“Oh son of a bitch,” cursed Jen, standing up and turning away, “Hardy again.”

“You know her?”

“Yeah,” nodded Jen in frustration, “Her name’s Felicia Hardy. You’re not the first one she did this too. She ruined Bruce’s life* and emotionally destroyed Spider-Man**.”

*Back in [Black Cat: The Next Mark](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20970062)

**Even farther back in [Jessica Jones & Spider-Man: Crossed Your Path](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20910803)

“Really?”

“Uh-huh,” said Jen, “Then Loki basically sent her to hell.* You’d think that would have taught her a lesson, but I guess not.”

*In [Black Cat: House of Humility](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22339018)

“Well…” said Patsy, “...at least I know who she is now. That’s good, right?”

“Uh-oh…” said Jennifer, looking at her phone.

“What is it?”

“I don’t know if you should-”

“Just tell me, Jen.”

Jen showed Patsy her phone. Felicia had taken down the wanted head of a local gang and turned him into the police. She had shown up at his club in the Hellcat suit and successfully apprehended him. Afterwards she had been interviewed by the press, where she introduced herself.

“That is correct,” she had said in response to a question, “I am not Patsy Walker. I’m the new Hellcat and I’m here to save the day!”

“That’s not fair!” shouted Patsy at the phone, tearing up again, “I’m Hellcat!! Did she have to take my name too!?”

“I’m sorry, Pats.”

“Can we turn her in or something!?” cried Patsy, “You said she’s like a big time criminal, right?!”

“Yes,” said Jennifer, “but we’d have to prove that Felicia is the one behind the mask.”

“But neither of us have our powers! How are we going to do that!?”

“...I don’t know.”

Patsy sniffled and began to cry again. Jennifer placed an arm around her shoulder and held her close. They both hoped this would be over soon.

***

**Several weeks later…**

“Welcome to Sunset Burger,” said Patsy into the microphone, “May I take your order?”

“Yeah, I’ll have two strawberry milkshakes please.”

“Coming right up,” said Patsy, “Thank you for choosing Sunset Burger.”

Patsy lifted her finger from the button and let out a sigh. Since Felicia had stolen the Hellcat suit Patsy’s life hadn’t improved a whole lot. Her and Jen hadn’t had any success in proving that the new Hellcat was Felicia Hardy. In that time Felicia had continued to apprehend wanted criminals and earn more popularity and attention. It was already an internet meme how much better of a Hellcat this new hero was than Patsy.

Without being a vigilante, Patsy felt guilty staying with Jennifer without paying rent. At least when she was a hero she was helping in some way. She had gotten a job at the nearby fast food restaurant to make some extra cash. She didn’t care for the job. The place reeked of grease, the floors were sticky with who-knows-what, and the uniform consisted of very unflattering black work pants, a red polo, and a red baseball cap with the logo on it.

“Hey Walker!” shouted her coworker Marian, “Think you can handle putting that order together, or are you going to cry about it first?”

There was also that. Patsy’s face turned red as she clenched her fists and tightened her lips. Ever since the video of her running after Felicia in her underwear had gone viral just about everyone recognized her in public again. It had been the same way after she was humiliatingly broken up with on _Hungry Like the Wolfe_ , but at least back then there wasn’t anyone constantly bullying her about it.

Of Patsy’s coworkers, Marian Pouncy was the meanest. She had apparently been a bouncer at her last job, but got fired for being too aggressive. Now Patsy spent all day with her. She was an enormous woman, standing almost an entire foot taller than Patsy and having enormous arms built of solid muscle.

“Here you are,” said Patsy, approaching the drive-thru window with the milkshakes, “That’ll be $8.59.”

“$8.59!?” cried the driver, a college student by the look of her, “That’s ridiculous!”

“My apologies, ma’am,” said Patsy, “but that’s-”

“There’s no way I’m paying that much!”

“I understand,” said Patsy, “Would you like to- OOOEEEEEOOOW!!!”

Patsy’s face had gone bright red and contorted into an almost unrecognizable face. She was tightly biting her lip as her eyes went in different directions from the sheer pain and discomfort she was experiencing. The customers couldn’t see it, but Marian had tightly gripped the waistband of Patsy’s polka dotted undies and had already hoisted them past her neck. The shock of this caused Patsy to jerk forward, spilling both milkshakes all over the side of the car.

“What the hell!?” demanded the driver, “You know what? I’m speaking with the manager!”

“...no,” squeaked Patsy as Marian pulled even higher, “...please…”

The car sped off without another word as Marian continued to pull higher, eventually lifting Patsy off the ground as tears welled in her eyes before Marian hooked the waistband to the corner of the drink dispenser, hanging her there.

“Come on, Marian!” squealed Patsy desperately, “Why’d you do that!?”

“Aw!’ laughed Marian, “Poor Patsy! I guess all those years of pampered living never prepared you for the real world, huh? Loser.”

Patsy looked dejectedly at the disgusting floor as she hung there in defeat, underwear cutting deeper and deeper into her every second. It was a few minutes before anyone got her down, with most of her coworkers just finding it funny more than anything. Once Patsy got down she was ruthlessly mocked for the sight of her plucking at the seat of her pants over and over.

The customer did eventually speak with the manager, who saw fit to fire Patsy. Patsy had already been an underperforming employee on account of her recent experiences inhibiting her focus. What was more, her public image as a clownish failure had already given management reason to doubt her abilities. Patsy turned in her uniform and walked sadly back to her apartment.

She glumly walked in to see Jennifer hard at work as usual. Not only was she looking into ways they could stop Felicia, but she was researching and working on ways to get her own powers back as well. It had been a rough couple of weeks for both of them.

“How was work?” asked Jennifer as she heard Patsy walk in.

“I got fired…” whimpered Patsy.

“What?” gasped Jennifer, turning to her, “Aw, Pats! I’m so sorry! What happened?”

“It doesn’t matter…” sniffled Patsy, “...at least Marian won’t be able to pick on me anymore though…”

“Well, I’ve got some good news!” offered Jennifer, “Felicia’s escape from prison is still technically an ongoing investigation. So when she was spotted in town, the FBI began to look into it. They subpoenaed the records from her bank. With some luck, we might be able to tie that to the new Hellcat and out her as a criminal!”

“Okay,” said Patsy quietly, too hopeless to get excited.

“I was going to go to their office today to pick the records up,” said Jennifer, “Did you want to come?”

“Sure.”

Patsy took the time to shower and change. She didn’t put nearly as much effort into looking cute these days, so all she threw on were a pair of jeans, a T-shirt, sneakers, and an orange hoodie. She joined Jennifer as they left the apartment and headed out to the local FBI field office.

***

“Well that was helpful,” scoffed Jennfier sarcastically.

“They could have at least agreed to speak to us…” muttered Patsy.

Jennifer and Patsy were now in a car on their way to the hotel. The FBI had refused to cooperate with them in any way, so they had resolved to investigate themselves. They planned to ask the hotel management about Felicia and get as much information as they could.

“Hello,” smiled Jennifer to reception as they entered the hotel, “We were wondering if we could book a last minute room.”

“Book?” asked Patsy, but Jennifer shushed her.

“Of course,” smiled the concierge, “What size room do you need and how long will you be staying?”

Jennifer looked to Patsy and raised her eyebrows. Now Patsy understood what was going on.

“Uh… One bed,” said Patsy, trying to remember the details of the room, “Ground floor corner room if you have one.”

“Oh my God,” realized the concierge with a grin, “You’re Patsy Walker!”

Patsy blushed and looked away. Jennifer snorted impatiently.

“One night,” she said coldly.

“My apologies,” said the concierge, looking at her computer, “but the only room fitting that description is under a hotel block for an event at the moment.”

“What’s the event?” asked Patsy.

“It’s listed under Le Chat Noir Ball,” said the concierge.

“Thank you,” said Jennifer suddenly, hoping to cut this off before Patsy gave them away, “We appreciate your time.”

Jennifer spun around and walked away as Patsy rushed after her. Patsy had to practically jog to keep up with Jennifer’s long strides, even in her human form.

“ _Le Chat Noir_!?” exclaimed Patsy in a hushed tone, “That means ‘The Black Cat,’ right?!”

“Yes,” said Jennifer, “She must have put a block on the room rather than buying it to help cover her tracks. She’s an expert cat burglar. Breaking into and out of the room without tripping alarms would be easy for her, so she wouldn’t have to worry about being caught staying there.”

“If the block’s still there…!” realized Patsy.

“...then she might still be there too,” affirmed Jennifer, “Think you can find out which window leads in there?”

“Yes.”

The two walked around to the other side of the building. They walked down a driveway into an alley, where Patsy quickly identified the window she had chased Felicia out of in her underwear. That memory would stick with her forever. The two were cautiously peering in through the window when they heard a voice behind them.

“Well, well, well,” purred Felicia, “I knew blocking the room under _Le Chat Noir_ would out me eventually, but I didn’t think it’d be you losers to figure it out.”

“Felicia!!” yelled Patsy furiously, “Give me back my suit, now!”

“Why?” laughed Felicia, “I’m a better Hellcat than you and everyone knows it. Are you really so selfish as to care more about your pride than the public’s general safety?”

“I… I…” stammered Patsy, at a loss for what to say.

“You’re a real piece of work, Hardy,” growled Jennifer, “You’d stoop so low as to attack someone’s confidence because you know they’d crush you otherwise.”

“Walters,” sneered Felicia, “It’s good to see you again too. Sorry to hear about losing your powers. Oh! That reminds me, I think I owe you for a certain encounter we had at a shopping mall.*”

*In [She-Hulk: She’s Coming for You](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21073607)

“Why you little-!” began Jennifer.

Jennifer wasn’t able to finish before Felicia leapt into the air and kicked her in the side of the head, completely toppling her over into the puddle beside her.

“Jen!” cried out Patsy as her friend cried out in pain.

“You know I still feel my ribs ache when I laugh,” hissed Felicia, walking in a circle around Jennifer’s body, “all because you’re giant green ass is so heavy!”

Felicia brought her leg back and kicked Jennifer in the side, causing the lawyer to let out a cough of pain as she curled inward. Patsy rushed over. She shoved Felicia back and planted herself between her and Jennifer, holding her arms out.

“What?” scoffed Felicia, “What are you trying to do?”

“I won’t let you hurt her!”

“HA!” laughed Felicia, “You won’t _let_ me? Reality check, sweetheart: I have your powers now. _I’m_ Hellcat now. You’re just a spoiled rich girl who’s famous for being a crybaby. What could you possibly hope to accomplish?”

“I don’t know…” admitted Patsy, “...but I don’t care!”

“Have it your way.”

Felicia grabbed the collar of Patsy’s hoodie with both hands, hooking her claws into the fabric. Patsy gripped Felicia’s wrists, but was unable to prevent the thief from swinging her around and around in the air before letting her go flying into the wall across the alleyway. Patsy let out a cry of pain as she hit the concrete wall and fell to the ground. Felicia turned back to Jennifer.

“Now,” smiled Felicia, “Where was I-? HEY!”

Patsy had leapt up and onto Felicia’s back, clinging around her neck for dear life. Felica pried Patsy’s hands away, gripping onto her wrists, and threw her forward over her head. Patsy landed painfully on her shoulder, groaning as she slowly rose to her feet.

“Alright, valley girl,” hissed Felicia, “If you’re so insistent on the matter, I’ll gladly tear you apart first!”

Felicia leapt over Jennifer’s body and charged towards Patsy. Patsy readied herself, but was completely unequipped to counter Felicia’s combat enhanced by the suit. Felicia effortlessly flipped Patsy and pinned her face down into the wet concrete, twisting her arm behind her back until she screamed.

“Patsy!” cried out Jennifer, still writhing in pain.

Felicia grabbed the back of Patsy’s hair, pulled her head back, and slammed her face right into the ground. She proceeded to do it several more times as Patsy screamed in pain, but refused to give up or beg.

“PATSY!” screamed Jennifer, starting to see blood on her friend’s face.

“And to think I’m getting paid for this,” smiled Felicia, lifting Patsy’s beaten face up to gloat at it, “You know what they say: when you do what you love…”

Patsy let out a weak moan. Felicia gripped the back of her hair again, pulled her head back one last time, and thrust toward the ground with all her strength. Except when Felicia began to thrust, she felt something holding her arm back. She looked over her shoulder and whimpered. Standing over her with a furious look on her face was She-Hulk.

“Oh no…” whispered Felicia.

Felicia screamed as she was yanked into the air by her arm and slammed down onto the other side. She moaned in pain from the impact, only for She-Hulk to swing her over her head in the other direction and slam her down even harder. Felicia cried in agony as she felt her bones bruising and cracking. She-Hulk was holding back, but the strength she was using still far exceeded any normal human.

“No, please!” begged Felicia as She-Hulk lifted her off the ground by the back of the suit’s shirt, “I’ll give the suit back! I’ll turn myself in! I’ll do anything! PLEASE!”

“How about this?” asked She-Hulk furiously, “I _take_ the suit, I have you _arrested_ , and I still do whatever I want to you?”

Felicia swallowed nervously. She-Hulk grabbed her by the legs and proceeded to try and pull the shirt off. Felicia, now desperate to prevent She-Hulk from winning, emitted a burst of flames that dissipated the suit, or at least she tried. The moment the flames appeared She-Hulk grabbed at the pants as well and pulled both halves of the suit away. This prevented the dissipation, but not the flames. The result was She-Hulk yanking the tight pants as far up Felicia’s body as possible, trapping the flames between the fabric and Felicia’s butt in the process.

“Hellfire wedgie!” smiled She-Hulk deviously.

“AAAHHHH!” screamed Felicia, “IT BURNS!!!”

She-Hulk gave the costume another yank and pulled it completely off Felicia, causing her naked and burnt body to fall limply to the ground in the same puddle she had kicked Jennifer into. Felicia offered one last weak whimper She-Hulk gave her a light kick in the head and knocked her out. 

She-Hulk looked at the suit for a moment. Then she walked around in front of Patsy, squatted in front of her, and checked to see how she was doing.

“You… did it…” said Patsy weakly, “...thanks…”

“No,” said She-Hulk warmly, “Thank YOU, Patsy. You risked yourself to protect me even when you were sure it would get you killed. I’ve never felt so cared for, Pats.”

“You… mean it?” asked Patsy, slowly raising her head to look at She-Hulk.

“Absolutely,” said She-Hulk, “It was the bravest thing I’ve ever seen. It’s what gave the motivation I needed to transform again. You’re a real hero, Patsy. More than just about anyone I know.”

“That’s… nice…” smiled Patsy, slowly passing out, “I’m…. glad…”

She-Hulk gently lifted the unconscious Patsy, trying to ignore her bruised and bloody face. She-Hulk scowled down at Felicia’s body. She saw several civilians at the end of the alley staring in awe.

“You,” ordered She-Hulk, “with the backpack. Call 911 and have this woman arrested, okay?”

“Yes ma’am!” said the man urgently, pulling out his phone.

***

“Mmmmnnnggghh…” groaned Patsy, rolling over in bed.

“Hey Pats,” whispered Jennifer, peering in the door, “You awake?”

Patsy yawned and nodded. She was in Jennifer’s bedroom, which had become her recovery room in the days following the fight with Felicia. Patsy hadn’t sustained any serious injuries, although the cuts and bruises on her face were still visible.

“Good,” smiled Jennifer, walking in with a tray of tea and breakfast foods, “How are you feeling today?”

“Jen,” smiled Patsy, “You didn’t have to make me breakfast again.”

“And you didn’t have to risk your life to protect me,” smiled Jennifer back, “and yet here we are.”

“I’m feeling alright,” said Patsy, “The headaches have calmed down and my body hurts much less.”

“That’s good,” said Jennifer, placing the tray on the table next to Patsy, “Dr. Carter said a week, so you will hopefully be at 100% in a few days.”

Patsy nodded and slowly began to sip the tea from the tray.

“Until then though,” shrugged Jennifer, “I guess you’ll just have to relax, watch TV, and eat all the food you want.”

Patsy took a bite of the muffin from the tray. She made a face.

“Oh no…” frowned Jennifer, “Did I screw it up?”

“...no,” lied Patsy poorly, “No, it’s just… Unique.”

“I’m a shit baker,” chuckled Jennifer, “I guess I’ll leave that to you in the future.”

They both shared a short laugh.

“Any word on Felicia’s case?” asked Patsy after a moment.

“You sure you want to talk about it?”

“Yeah.”

“Yes,” nodded Jennifer, “based on payments she’s been receiving lately, it seems likely that someone hired her to do this.”

“What? Who? Why?”

“I don’t know,” said Jennifer, “It appears to be some sort of shell company or something that’s difficult to trace. Something called Atlas.”

Patsy’s eyes widened.

“What?”

“Atlas…” whispered Patsy to herself, “That _is_ what it was called, right?”

“What is it, Patsy?”

“It was the name of a company that was supposed to publish comics based on the shows I was in,” explained Patsy, “It fell through, so the company was never incorporated or anything.”

“Who would have owned it?” asked Jennifer, “Your producer? Your agent?”

“No,” said Patsy sadly, “My co-star. Hedy Wolfe.”

**Author's Note:**

> Patsy Walker whump is hot. Can't explain that. Checkmate, atheists.


End file.
